


Before the Fallen Open Their Mirrored Eyes

by ChimaeraWorks



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst with a hopefully happy ending, Canon Divergence, Clover lives in this one ya’ll, Fall Maiden! Ruby, I put that warning in only for the first chapter, James Ironwood needs a nap and a vacation, Mantle isn’t dead, Maria is still the MVP, Marrow deserves a hug, Ozpin is back and he’s PISSED, Robyn is so done with James, Ruby Rose Whump, Ruby deserves a hug, Sad Qrow hours, Winter Maiden! Winter, Worried Oscar, he pulled a stupid, hell even Winter deserves a hug, seriously give Qrow a hug and a blanket please, sort of a bad end AU??
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-25 14:00:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22497256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChimaeraWorks/pseuds/ChimaeraWorks
Summary: Atlas has been raised and Mantle abandoned. In the surrounding chaos almost all of both teams(plus a distraught Qrow) have barely managed to escape Ironwood’s grasp.Almost all except one.One little Red Rose.
Relationships: Ace Ops & Clover Ebi, Blake Belladonna & Ruby Rose & Weiss Schnee & Yang Xiao Long, Clover Ebi & Marrow Amin, Clover Ebi & Ruby Rose, James Ironwood & Oscar Pine, James Ironwood & Ruby Rose, James Ironwood & Winter Schnee, Maria Calavera & Ruby Rose, Marrow Amin & Ruby Rose, Ozpin & Ruby Rose & Oscar Pine, Penny Poledina & Ruby Rose, Pietro Poledina & Penny Poledina, Qrow Branwen & Oscar Pine, Qrow Branwen & Ruby Rose & Yang Xiao Long, Robyn Hill & Clover Ebi, Robyn Hill & Fiona Thyme & May Marigold & Joanna Greenleaf, Robyn Hill & James Ironwood, Robyn Hill & Ruby Rose, Ruby Rose & Oscar Pine, Winter Schnee & Ruby Rose
Comments: 4
Kudos: 75





	Before the Fallen Open Their Mirrored Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> So I had an idea and decided why the hell not. Episode 12 was one hell of a ride lemme tell you but I’m not gonna let that get me down!  
> So have a sort of Bad End/Fix It!  
> I do not own any characters.
> 
> Edit 02-10-2020: I changed the story a small bit as the part in question will become a major plot point.

Ruby screamed as Cinder’s sword cut down the delicate skin of her eye. Searing, agonizing pain encompassed her senses, this was worse than even the other terrible injuries already inflicted. Whimpering, Ruby fell back to hit the wall, Crescent Rose falling to the floor with her. She could feel the tears and blood cascading down her face.  
Cinder smirked sadistically across from her, her two swords glowing with menacing light. She stepped towards the bleeding girl. She watched Ruby feebly, frantically grab her scythe. Cinder chuckled at the attempt.  
“So despite all those terrible injuries you still want to fight?” Ruby didn’t answer, she simply struggled up and clutched her scythe like a lifeline. Her hands holding it in the position to attack. Cinder frowned.  
“Fine.”  
Cinder lunged and Ruby swung. 

-~*~-

Winter paced back and forth in worry. She had promised Weiss she would find Ruby, but she didn’t plan on finding said girl with multiple life-threatening injuries and a bisected maiden.  
A bisected former maiden.  
The implications of that terrified her as she knew Ruby was still toeing the line of life and death. Winter could feel a migraine coming on. Unfortunately, Penny was gone right now. After helping Weiss and the others get away, the redhead had to help keep peace after everything. But since Ruby was in emergency surgery right now, that meant the others were forced to leave her behind.  
On Atlas.  
Which was now at a much higher elevation.  
Winter sat down, her mind still reeling from her new power and helping raise a city. She sighed.  
“Is they gonna be ok?” Winter‘s head shot up to see Marrow. The dog Faunus fiddled with his jacket in obvious anxiety. Oh right....  
Clover.  
She had almost forgotten about the nearly dead Ace-Ops. He’d been rushed in about the same time Ruby had been brought in. Both had been in surgery for about two hours now with no news. She shook her head tiredly.  
“We don’t know if either will pull through this surgery yet. I’m sorry.” His expression fell. He sat down a few chairs from the specialist.  
It was quiet.  
For another hour-and-a-half the two waited with bated breath. The other Ace Ops sometimes popped in, but as soon as they came in they left just as quick. Winter couldn’t exactly fault them for their distance. She had heard about the fight between RWBY and the rest of the Ace-Ops.  
It wasn’t until the fifth hour one of the surgeons came out. He stood at attention in front of the higher ranking individuals.  
“Both had severe wounds, Captain Clover particularly so, but Ms. Rose’s surgeons and I are glad to say they’ll live.” Winter’s shoulders fell in relief. Marrow let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. “However,” the surgeon continued. “Both patients will have to stay in an induced coma. Their injuries are still a concern and we don’t want any more internal bleeding.” Winter nodded. Satisfied, the Surgeon turned back to go into the surgery ward.  
Marrow flopped into his chair in relief, his hands over his face.  
“Thank the Gods.....”  
Winter agreed. By the brothers she agreed. But she was worried now.  
Because she now had to report Ruby and Clover to the general......

-~*~-

Ironwood rubbed at his temples, a headache pounding at his skull. He was so tired. Moving Atlas, calming the people, the fact that his captain of the Ace-ops was nearly dead, dealing with Robyn-  
It was all wearing down on him. And now dealing with the fact that his Ace-ops were beaten by team RWBY and that they’ve escaped with Oscar and the Relic was definitely not something he wanted to hear. He sighed. He just wanted this to end.  
He jumped as Winter came in, a worried expression on her usually calm and collected face.  
“You have something to report I’m assuming?” She nodded and pulled out her scroll. Wordlessly she pulled up some pictures and handed it to James. Almost immediately his eyes widened at the horrific sight.  
Cinder Fall’s dead body was projected on the screen as well as the damage around her. The implications of her death rammed home and he could feel anxiety gnawing at his chest.  
“Wh-who is the new maiden.” Winter stayed silent. James looked her in the eye.  
“Winter. Who is the new Fall Maiden?”  
“Ruby Rose.” His jaw dropped. How was that even possible? She had escaped hadn’t she? On top of that Ruby loved life too much to kill, so how? Looking back at the picture, he looked closer. He could see her weapon laying on the ground nearby. It was bloody and the cut that killed Cinder was very identical from the weapon. But.....  
“Where is Ms. Rose?” “Currently in a coma sir. She sustained severe injuries from Fall before killing her. I rushed her to the medical ward.” The General’s hand rubbed down his face.  
“So...... Ms. Rose now has the power of the Fall maiden and is currently comatose? Did I get that right?” She nodded. “That’s not all sir.”  
Oh Gods......  
“Clover is alive.”

-~*~-

Clover groaned as he opened his eyes. His chest hurt. Looking around, he noticed the room was dark with the only illumination from the beeping monitors. He turned his head and saw someone in a bed nearby. There was an oxygen mask on the figure. Clover tried to sit up for a better view, but thought better if it when it pulled the long barely-healed scar on his chest. He remembered looking at Qrow then an agonizing pain. After that was a blur, though Qrow’s scream would haunt his dreams....  
He sighed. He couldn’t do anything now. He just hoped Qrow was ok....  
He jumped as the door opened and light spilled into the room. He was surprised to see a small, old woman hobble in towards the other bed. He gasped as he saw a familiar mop of red-tipped black hair.  
Ruby.  
“So you’re awake I see.” Maria’s prosthetic eyes bore into him as he stared. He nodded shakily. “What happened to her?” Maria sat in a chair next to the young girls bed. She sighed wearily. “Cinder Fall is what happened. Apparently she and Ruby got into a one on one fight away from anyone else and it took a turn for the worst. Good news is that Cinder’s dead. Bad news...... Ruby’s lost an eye and was critically injured. She’s been in a coma for a few days now I’m afraid. And so have you.”  
Clover was shocked. He’d seen reports of what Ruby could do, but to hear that she killed someone(even rightly so mind you) was jarring enough. On top of that she was injured so bad that she had to stay in a coma. Oh gods what happened while he was out....  
“What about the others?” Did they make it out? Are they alive? “They’re gone without a trace. Obviously they were forced to leave Ruby, but the rest got away safely.” Clover breathed a sigh of relief. He felt admittedly bad about what happened in the airship, but to hear that Qrow was safe was......  
Nice.  
“Wait...... What about Robyn?” Maria snorted.  
“Unfortunately she’s here too, but she’s giving Ironwood a run for his money and lemme tell you, it’s quite the show!” Clover chuckled, but couldn’t help the wince.  
“You should rest now young man. You’ve been through the wringer.” “Will you wake me up if Ruby wakes up?” “..........Of course.” Clover smiled at the elder. “Thank you.” Maria nodded and relaxed against the chair.  
Clover closed his eyes.


End file.
